Method of making stencil cards



- May 8, 1945. E. J. LAMB 2,375,308

METHCD OF MAKING STENCIL CARDS Filed Aug. 21, 1942 an nu mm r7 "f n H n n 175 A T TORNE Y Patented May 8, 1945 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING STENCIL CARDS Eugene J. Lamb. Vestal, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 21. 1942, Serial No. 455,861

(Cl. l01128.4)

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a stencil card of the kind which can be used in card controlled accounting and tabulating machines.

One object of the invention is to provide a card of this type in which the stencil window is protected while the card is passing through a punch or other card handling machine, such as a sorter. interpreter, verifier, or tabulating machine. In its preferred form, the stencil card is constructed so that the stencil can be out either before or after the card has been punched, or run through other card handling machines.

Another object of the invention is to improve the quality of the stencil.

Still another object is to provide a stencil card which protects the type and platen from injury in the stencil cutting operation.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle,

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a stencil'card made in accordance with my invention, after punching and interpreting but before the cutting of the stencil.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the parts of which the stencil card is constructed, showing them in position for joining,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stencil card with the front flap turned backinto position for cutting the stencil.

Fig. 4 is a face view of a modified form of the stencil card.

As shown in Fig. 1, the body ill of the stencil card has a window ll within which the stencil will appear when the card is finished. The card is made of two plies l2 and I3 (Fig. 2) and a piece of stencil paper ll. The stencil paper is slightly larger than the window II and is positioned so that its margins will be bound between the two plies of the card when the piles are joined by adhesive. In each ply a similar area is partially cut out to form the window ii. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, this area is out along the top, bottom and right sides but along the left side the plies are only perforated to form a weakened line I! about which the two cut out flaps l5 and It can turn as on a hinge.

While the flaps are shown tilted out in Fig. 2, for better visibility, actually the remain in place during the manufacture of the card.

card of this kind is to send it first through the periorator, or equivalent machine, to record that part of the information which is to appear upon the card in the form of perforations, or other sensible indicia. Fig. 1 shows by way of example a check addressing card for addressing dividend checks. The card has been passed through the periorator and the stockholder's number, the number of shares, and the amount have been perforated. The card has then been passed through an interpreter which has printed the same information at the top of the card under control of the perforations previously made. During these operations, the flaps l5 and it have remained in place hi the window, covering the stencil paper and protecting it from injury by the feed rolls of the card handling machines, which, for this reason. do not require special adjustment to handle the stencil cards. The card may be passed through any other machines controlled by its perforations while in the condition shown in Fig. i, such as collators, sorters. verifiers, tabuiators, etc.

When the stencil is to be cut, the front flap I6 is turned back on its hinge ll, to the position shown in Fig. 3, the rear flap l5 remaining in place. The flap l6 may, in fact, be torn off at this time, if all of the operations in the card handling machines have been finished. In the stencil cutting operation, the flap l5 performs two important functions. It improves the quality of the stencil letters, since it acts as a filler between the platen and the stencil window, which would normally be spaced from the platen by the thickness of the rear card. It also prevents the type which cut the stencil letters from damaging a rubber platen or from being injured against a metal platen.

It is possible to reverse the sequence of operations, first cutting the stencil with the card in the condition shown in Fig. 3, then closing the front flap and passing the card through the per-' forator and other card handling machines.

Fig. 4 shows a modification in which the window areas of the plies are out along all four sides 20, but not at the four corners 2|. The uncut corners hold thewindow flaps in place until they are to be removed for cutting the stencil, or use of the card in stencil printing. Since these flaps, once broken out, cannot be restored to their original condition, the punching and other card handling operations are necessarily carried out before the stencil cutting, with this type of card.

While there have been shown and described The preferred method of handling a stencil l6 and pointed out the fundamental novel features oi the invention as applied to two modifications, it will be understood that various omissions end substitutions end. changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the are Without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as incli= cated by the scope of the following cieimg,

What is claimed is:

i. The method; of making a two-ply stencil carol for use in card controlled, machines, which comprises partially cutting registering windows in the two plies, joining th plies, with stencil material between them covering the window area, making a record on the card in the form of sensilole indicie, with ills meieriol of loofah plies wiihm the window area in piece, and cutting the siaezacil with the materiel of the from ply within the window area} Femoved from the window area. and the material of the heel; ply within the window area in niece.

2. The method of making a, two ply stencil card for use in and controlled machines, which comprises forming window flops in ihe two plies by weakening the plies along a hinge line and cutting through the piles around lines defining a Window area, adjacent the hinge line, joining the piles with the stencil material between them covering the window area, punching the card with both flaps covering the window ar'ee, and cutting th stencil with the from; flap iilliiild back and the reel flap covering the window area. 

